Sir Reg/Mr Durkan

4 Rotherwood Drive Tel 028 71 285 807 Email macgil@hotmail.co.uk

Killfennan

L’Derry

N. Ireland

BT47 5SY

13/July/ 09

Dear Mr Durkan


I have taken courage and am making bold to write to you on a complex political theme; the theme is the reform of the United Kingdom Constitution as the only route out of the inherent violence of N. Ireland. The violence of this 12th prompts this.

I was formerly a teacher but I retired from that to devote my energies to work on the Irish problem and its solution. On that theme I have published a novel with Authorhouse titled THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE. I have a second novel coming out shortly on the same theme titled THE RAPE OF VIRGIN MUNCHINDUN where Munchindun is a fictional district in Tyrone. I also maintain an extensive blog on this theme on: -
www.blogstoday.co.uk/irishproblemsolved.blog
This blog is read as far afield as California. My version of the National Government of Ireland Act, which is central to this letter, can be found in the novel THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE.

My political views in this writing are personal but the views are sincerely held. In terms of the politics of this island I am not a Nationalist, Republican or Union Jack Unionist. These are now past their use by date and should be disposed of, and replaced by the new improved concept of Federal Unionism-Early Sinn. In my reading of Irish political history initially Arthur Griffiths who founded Sinn Fein in 1904, wanted a government for Ireland with a dual monarchy. When this is examined in depth Early Sinn Fein was federal unionist and if Griffith’s initial ideas had been developed with patience and hadn’t been swept away by the sectarian violence of 1916 Ireland today would be united under the Crown, a nation similar to Canada. But that, I admit is an “if only” of Irish history. 1916 changed things but the changes were for the worse.

Two things have prompted me to write to you. As noted there is the upsurge in violence during the current 12th demonstrations. Windbags on the media and in the press have roundly condemned this but that is a waste of time. Violence is endemic in Northern Ireland. Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein can ask and answer the question ---“Why is this?”

My second reason for writing has to do with a quote of Sir Reg Empey taken from the Belfast Telegraph, which goes like this: -

“My parties role in the Belfast Agreement is to free this country from the shackles that tied us all to sectarian based head counts and mutual distrust.”

The sentiment is fine and is to be applauded but he doesn’t say how to achieve this. Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein can supply the know-how in freeing us from the shackles of sectarianism and mutual mistrust.

To grasp the know-how one must understand Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein’s analysis of the problem. That concept identifies sectarianism as the sickness of Ireland (all of it) and the cause of the sickness can be traced to the U.K. constitution. This constitution is flawed in that it is undemocratic and unwritten and because it lacks the support of all of the people of N. Ireland it is imposed militarily on those who object to it. A purpose of the 12th demonstrations is to ram the constitution down the throats of those who object to it and a significant body of people find U.K. constitution objectionable, to wit the De Brun vote in the recent European election. The Orange Order can throw up a smoke screen of Protestant cultural expression (whatever protestant culture is) but the people aren’t fooled. The flaunting of Union Jacks on the streets and the making of union speeches at the field demonstrate that Orange Parades are about the imposition of the U.K. constitution on those who object to it.

Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein rejects dogma in politics and embraces secularism, which replaces political dogma with reason, logic and observation. The adoption of secularism and the rejection of political dogma in Ireland is another prerequisite in finding a solution to the Irish Problem.

Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein puts forward as basic to the solution of the Irish Problem, the reform of U.K. constitution in the written National Government of Ireland Act. In this way the existing unwritten undemocratic constitution can be changed from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Federal Kingdom of the Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain or vice versa. As it is now constituted N. Ireland is unstable and prone to communal violence. It is observable that there are two heads of state involved, two conflicting national flags being flown, two conflicting national anthems being sung and two conflicting national passports being travelled on. The state thus constituted is a state at war with itself and in such a state violence is endemic. Such a state requires a new written constitution expressed in the National Government of Ireland Act as follows: -

(a) One head of state: the reformed Crown whose constitutional duties in all Ireland are defined and clearly stated in writing in the Act.
(b) One National Flag. In the case of the National Government of Ireland Act the national flag would be The Royal Flag of Ireland. This flag should be the existing Tricolour with the Red Cross of St Patrick imposed on the white central panel of the tricolour along with the Crown and harp symbols in blue and with a shamrock symbol. This flag should be defined in the Act as The Royal Flag of Ireland which is at one and the same time, the National Flag of Ireland and the symbol of the Federal Kingdom of the Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain or vice versa. The Union Jack should remain as the National Flag of Great Britain and be the symbol of The Federal Kingdom of Great Britain and the Sovereign Nation of Ireland. in Great Britain. Joining the two national flags together as one, is more sensible than trying to join Martin Mc Guinness and Peter Robinson together at the hip in the Assembly. These men symbolize irreconcilable constitutional positions and conflict. This is only one piece of the constitutional jigsaw. The version of the Act given in THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE runs to 20,000 words and attempts to deal with all aspects of life on this island.
©One National Anthem, which can be sung by all. There are many good songs in Ireland that would suit this.
(d)One National Passport written in Irish and English showing a picture of the Crown as head of state
(e) One central government in Dublin named Dail Eireann with legislative powers devolved to four Provincial Houses: -
The Ulster House
The Munster House
The Leinster House
The Connaugh House


All of that is part of the know-how of Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein and in the National Government of Ireland Act a written constitution can be designed for Ireland that should be as acceptable to the Catholics of Kerry as to the Protestants of Derry. This is possible feasible and doable but to do it will require the restructuring of the political centre in Northern Ireland. In N. Ireland the political centre is fractured in three between the U.U.P. the S.D.L.P. and the Alliance Party. A single central party should be set up under the banner of Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein. Such a party should take as its platform the reform of the U.K. constitution as outlined in this letter and have as its flag The Royal flag of Ireland. The party should make clear to all that it is united Ireland friendly, union friendly and Crown friendly. In that way the party is for all, is non-sectarian and crosses the communal divide.

I have also written to Ms Ruane minister for education not about politics: we are poles apart on politics but about education where we can communicate. The good lady gave me a written reply that was positive, well informed and at length In general she said her views on selection in education were not incompatible with mine. A copy of this article can be found at the blog address given at the beginning of this letter by scrolling down to page 3 to Selection at Eleven.

I would be most grateful if you would reply to this letter either by letter or by email in a positive informed and significant way. The views in this letter are sincerely put forward as the only way to a genuine peace in Ireland. The current so called peace is a bogus peace. You can show this letter to your colleagues in the party.
Yours Sincerely

Michael Gillespie B.Ed B.Sc(Econ) DipEd D.A.S.E. M.A.(Ed)
Federal Unionist-Early Sinn Fein